Chicago Teenager Fatally Shoots Grandpa for Cellphone and Sneakers

Chicago, IL — A teenaged gunman allegedly murdered his own grandfather in the course of a robbery outside his house on the city’s south side, police and prosecutors claim.

The teen allegedly pumped six bullets into his granddad’s back and stole his wallet so that he could buy new sneakers, a cellphone, and tattoos.

Both the victim and the suspect were identified in media accounts as William Strickland.

William Strickland the elder — who just celebrated his 72nd birthday — was on his way to an early morning kidney dialysis appointment when he was shot. He had been undergoing dialysis three times a week for about five years. “Strickland was headed to a Pace paratransit van for his ride to his dialysis appointment and had just made it to the gangway of his home when two men robbed and shot him several times, according to police. He died a short while later, around 4 a.m., just steps from his home.”

Authorities have charged his grandson, 19-year-old William Strickland, with first-degree murder and armed robbery with a handgun. He is being held without bail. Reportedly the teen has confessed to the shooting: “Strickland admitted in court to stealing his grandfather’s gun and commiting the crime with that gun.” There has been no other arrest in the incident so far.

Leslie Strickland, the deceased victim’s daughter, apparently sensing that this was something along the lines of an inside job, had this to say about the tragic incident before the arrest was made: “I do not feel as though it was a robbery. I feel as though it was up close and personal because they knew the exact time he was coming out the house, and he’s been making this dialysis trip for four years, same time.”

According to prosecutors, the Strickland teen has no criminal record “but was an admitted gang member.”

The city of Chicago has been experiencing an ongoing, unprecedented crime wave primarily driven by gang violence.